GBM: "Half life.": Half-life denotes the amount of time needed (in average) to physically evacuate 50% of a consumed dosage. Substances evacuate at a steady rate, metabolic processes run according to a set speed (though physical activity, consumption of other substances, etc.can speed or slow it in a very minor way). A substance with a 36 hour half life evacuates in 72 hours.
Methadone however is almost unique because of the internal reservoir that is effectuated in the Optimum Dosge phase (usually it least 4 weeks of once daily dosing at consistent dosages). This acts as pseudo-time release so that evacuation (full) only kicks in 48 to 72 hours AFTER last ingestion. Half Life then takes place 36 hours AFTER it kicks in.
In Optimum Dosing a subject is "held" for 48 to 72 hours between dosages. They only dose daily to maintain the internal resevoir. Another example of subjective reasoning gone wrong is when people freak out over missing a single dosage, imagining withdrawal is initiating (it CAN happen if a person is under dosed which is actually a frequent situation since some places have legal thresholds prohibiting dosages above 100 mg. Ideally a person is adequately dosed to begin with).
Cane: Would I call someone foolish for using Brittanica as a primary sourcy? No, I would call them naïve and inexperienced in research. Brittanica usually uses public domain materiel for specialised subjects. When you are researching a scientific genre you want to use peer reviewed materiel.
"We are not writing scientific literature here.": Correct. We are offering Harm Reduction-related information. The purpose is to save lives and that requires an even higher threshold of accuracy.
"Why doesn't Rachamim examine Adder's secondary sources (the sources Wiki uses) and evaluate THEM?": If the claim is incorrect why would I need to follow the hyper-link? If he/she cares about the issue they can post that source primarily and I will be more than happy to point out why it is incorrect. Your mistake is that you believe "euphoria" is a totally subjective value devoid of physical parameters. It isn't and that is an actual fact.
"What scientific facts regarding methadone withdrawal is Rachamim talking about?": My posts in this thread have been very explicit. Re-read them at your leisure.
Adder: "Opiate/opioid addiction isn't entirely psychological.": I never said it was. In fact, since you are replying to my post where I stated, "the psychological aspect is always the most difficult" you are making no sense whatsoever. If the psychological aspect is the M0ST difficult it is only because it is NOT the only aspect. You then devote the rest of your post to this same non-sensical issue, regurgitating it over and over .
I am glad you do not wish to "argue." Arguing online makes no sense. However, you may want to review your posts in this thread to see just why you elicit this type of response.
Adder's Last Post: After all this you then state that the 4th day of methadone withdrawal, the day you say physical symptoms initiated was milder than day 1 on withdrawal from morphine. Glad that is finally settled.
Yes, anticipation can be bad. I laid on a bed waiting but on day 4, when mine began as well, I was happy to find it so gentle (in relative terms). On day 6 I skinned a cow and calf that died in birth, something I would have never been able to do 48 hours into morphine/heroin withdrawal.
On the subject of dosing. In New York City, and in Israel (2 of the 3 places I have maintained) there is no maximum dosage. Above 200, in NY, you have to take a Trough Assay. You get blood drawn, you dose, 4 hours later you have blood drawn once again. The 2 levels are compared for serum levels (level of methadone in the blood). If you are deficient in your level you are raised up to 40 mgs, then it repeats itself. The highest daily dosage I know of personally is a man more or less my age who receives 660 mg daily. His serum levels are deficient because he takes protease inhibitors (for HIV) which severely increases metabolism (in the relevant enzymatic pathways).
In Israel there is no level, though now it may have changed since Heroin Maintenance is in effect (they may switch to heroin at certain threshold dosages).
In Florida, the 3rd place I maintained, the state has a maximum threshold of 100 mgs. I was there in the mid-1990s and it may have changed since then. A programme limiting dosages to 100 mgs actually harms people.
Have to clarify, your statement that 40mg is the average maintenence dose is incorrect. It is actually 60 which is problematic since the average "Blocking Dose" is 70 mgs (though it doesn't block it offers the equivalent effect). Maybe you meant in Poland. In which case I have no idea.
"Polish Opiates." Yeah, having been to Rumania in he Soviet Era I am very familiar with Kompot (in Moldova, Rumania, etc its is called "Chernaya"). It is garbage. Throw GAA on straw and crudely reflux it. Worse than Tar. Luckily its almost extinct now that Poland is flooded with "Braun."
Subdude: If you research the issue (and I am referring to cursory research, simply use Google and only examine the scientific literature, not junkies reminiscing, etc.) You will see I am not the exception by any means.
In my own case, I have withdrawn a number of times. Laying on the urine covered floors of holding cells in Rikers Island I thought I would die. As I educated my self on the issues involved my perception changed. My last cold turkey was by neccessity since it took place in the Philippines, a country which was sued by WHO for refusing to use opiates/opioids even on cancer patients (the lucky ones got anti-psychotics, still do in most cases). To boot (no pun intended), aside from 500 junkies on just a single one of the nation's 7,107 islands who inject nabulphine (Nubain) there is no street scene. It is the only SE Asian nation without a heroin scene. In other words, I had no choice but to man up. Knowing it was a mind game was extremely valuable. The mind is the biggest obstacle.
